Part 1. The Book

The author called his work by three distinct names. Each of
these names characterizes the book in its own way. These names are:

I. Likutei Amarim - "Collected Discourses." By this name the author
describes his work in his "Compiler's Foreword," thereby humbly
disclaiming any originality for his work. In fact the author explicitly states
that his treatise constitutes a collection of discourses "which have been
selected from books and scribes, heavenly
saints, who are renowned among us.”1 Under this title the book was
first published (Slavita, 1796).2

2. Tanya, after the initial word of the book, quoting
a Baraitic source.3 The quotation from tannaitic lore
serves the author more than as a homiletic introduction to his system.
Dealing, as it does, with the mystic
descent of the soul and its destiny, it provides the author with a starting
point, based in the Talmud; from which to unfold his whole system. Under this
title the book appeared for the second
time (Zolkiev, 1798), with Likutei Amarim as subtitle.4

3. Sefer shel
Benonim - "Book of the
Intermediates," so called after the type of personality on which the book centers attention, that is,
the intermediate type whose moral position is between thetzaddik ("righteous
man") and rasha ("wicked man"). Thus the author pointedly
indicates that his primary concern is not with the tzaddik, upon whose
veneration general Chassiduthad placed so much emphasis, nor with the rasha,
upon whose condemnation much has been said in other Jewish ethical works, but
with the benoni, the "intermediate" man, whose rank is within
reach of
every person.5 The name Sefer shel Benonim
appeared as a subtitle in the first edition ("Likutei Amarim, Part
One, called Sefer shel Benonim"). However, actually the author
often refers to the whole book, and not merely its first part, when using the
title Sefer shel Benonim.6

The standard complete editions of this work include the
following five parts, each of which is an independent treatise:

Altogether at least sixty-five editions of the Likutei
Amarim, or Tanya, complete or in part, have appeared to date,8 with both names alternating as
title and subtitle, respectively. Yet this work, as the other Chabad classics, has never been translated into any
European language.9 Even in its Hebrew original it is
not an easy book, because of its construction, almost complete lack of
punctuation, and also because some of
its basic doctrines are not treated fully therein and
must be sought in the
author's other works. There seems, therefore, ample reason for presenting to
the English-speaking Jewish world a translation of this fundamental work of Chabad, with an introduction and notes which, it is hoped,
will facilitate the comprehension of
this book and its doctrine. Our present study will confine itself to
Part 1, to which we shall refer, for the sake of convenience, by its shorter
name - Tanya.

The author worked on the Tanya for twenty years10 elaborating its style and form so
punctiliously that it came to be regarded by his followers as the "Written
Torah" of Chabad, where every word and letter was meaningful. Indeed, the
author divided it into fifty-three chapters to correspond to the number of Sidrot
(weekly portions) in the Pentateuch. It soon became the custom of many Chabad Chassidim to study a chapter of the
Tanya each week, with the same regularity with which the weekly portions of the
Pentateuch were recited.11

In his attempt to design the Tanya so that it would meet the
widest possible need, both of the analytical and searching mind, as well as of
the less scholarly, the author has succeeded to a high degree. The former find
in it an inexhaustible profundity, and several searching not yet published
commentaries have been written on it. This translator has been fortunate in
having access to some of the manuscripts
in question.12 The less scholarly, too, each
according to his intellectual capacity, find in it edifying instruction at
varying levels. This quality, together with the

authority it enjoys, accounts for the widespread recognition
which the Tanya has commanded from the time of its appearance to the present
day.

The Tanya was written, as the author indicates in his
Foreword, for the "seekers" and the "perplexed." One is
tempted to draw a parallel between this author and his book and Maimonides and
his Guide. Indeed, both men present some striking points in common. Each
of them first established his reputation as a Talmudist and Codifier before
publishing a work of philosophy; both had written Codes of Jewish Law, which
are still authoritative and popular. Each of them created a new lasting school
of thought in Jewish philosophy, and the one, like the

other, set out to write a work which aimed at helping those
who needed guidance in their religious beliefs. Yet both of them evoked sharp
opposition from the direction of a part of orthodox Jewry; both were
misunderstood and their philosophical treatises were banned.

However, this is as far as the parallel goes. The Guide
and the Tanya represent two widely divergent systems, in essence as well
as in form. The two authors were separated by some six centuries in time, and
far apart also geographically and in respect of
the whole cultural milieu in
which they flourished. Maimonides is the rational Jewish philosopher par
excellence; Rabbi Schneur Zalman is basically a mystic. The
"perplexed" for whom they wrote were two entirely different types of
people. Maimonides wrote for the man whose perplexity derived from the fact
that he desired to retain his traditional beliefs, but was puzzled by the
apparent contradiction between tradition and philosophy, yet loath to give up
either.13The object of the Guide, therefore, was to effect a reconciliation
between the two.

No such problem confronted Rabbi Schneur Zalman. Philosophy
and science hardly had a place among the masses of Eastern European Jewry at
that time. The Haskalah movement had not yet made any serious inroads
upon the minds of the masses. Rabbi Schneur Zalman addressed himself to those "who are in pursuit of
righteousness and seek the Lord... whose intelligence and mind are confused and
they wander about in darkness in the
service of G‑d, unable to perceive the
beneficial light that is buried in books.”14 In other words, he writes for
those whose beliefs have not been troubled by doubts, but who merely seek the
right path to G‑d.

We will, therefore, not find in the Tanya the type of
scholastic philosophy with which the Guide is replete, nor any polemics,
nor even an attempt to treat systematically many of the philosophical problems
which engaged Maimonides' attention. Such basic beliefs as the Existence of
G‑d, creatio ex nihilo, Revelation, and others, are taken for granted by
the author. Others, such as the Divine
attributes, Providence, Unity, Messianism, etc., are treated as integral parts
of his ethical system, and illuminated by the light of Kabbalah.

The Tanya is essentially a work on Jewish religious
ethics. The author is primarily concerned with the forces of good and evil in
human nature and in the surrounding world, and his objective,

as already pointed out, is to pave a new way to the summum
bonum. He is aware, of course, of the existence of Hebrew literature
dealing with the same subject. If he is impelled to write a new book, it is
not, as he is careful to note, because of the shortcomings of the available
works per se, but because the
human mind is not equally receptive, nor equally responsive to, the same
stimuli. The implication is that many works on Jewish philosophy and ethics
were useful for their time and age, or for the specific groups for whom they
were written. Now there was a need for a new approach (in the light of the Chassidic doctrine), and for a
"guide" that would command a
universal appeal. However, the author realizes that even this book, in parts at
least, cannot be so simple as to be understood
by all. Consequently he urges the more learned not to be misled by a
sense of misplaced modesty, and not to withhold their knowledge from those who
would seek it from them in the
understanding of these "Discourses."15

R. Schneur Zalman knew his ''perplexed" intimately. They flocked to him in great
numbers, and they flooded him with
written inquiries. Most of them, undoubtedly, were simple folk and laymen. But
there were also many students of the Talmud, and philosophically inclined young
men, who, like himself in his teens, sought a new way of life and new outlets
for their intellectual as well as spiritual drives. The consideration of such a
variegated audience largely determined the form and style of the book.

Speaking of form and style, it should be remembered that
long before he committed his teachings and doctrines to writing, he preached
them orally.16 ls His sermons and discourses,
delivered mostly on the Sabbath and on Festivals (which accounts for their
homiletic style), were subsequently recorded from memory by his disciples.
These manuscripts had a wide circulation among his followers. Not infrequently
Rabbi Schneur Zalman expounded his doctrines in the form of epistles which,
being of general interest, were regarded by his followers as pastoral letters,
and also copied and recopied for the widest possible circulation. In the course
of time, as his community of devotees had greatly increased, R. Schneur Zalman
felt, as he explains in his Foreword, that the time was ripe to present an
outline of his teachings in the form of a book, which was to supersede the
circulating Pamphlets, many of which were replete with errors as a result of
repeated copying and transcription, or by the malicious mischief of opponents.17 This is how the Likutei Amarim,
or Tanya, in its present composition, was born.

Part 2. The Sources

We have already noted that the author of the Tanya
made no claim to originality for his work. On the contrary, he emphasized his
dependence on his predecessors. Among the "books and sages" which
influenced his thinking, the Scriptures, Talmud and Lurianic Kabbalah must be
given foremost place. This is indicated already in the first chapter, which
opens the book with Talmudic quotations, references to the Zoharitic literature
and R. Chayyim Vital, the great
exponent of Lurianic Kabbalah, and with interspersed quotations from
Scripture. Here we already have an indication of the author's cast of mind and
his aim to build his system on the combined foundations of Scriptural, Rabbinic and Kabbalistic sources.

Rabbi Schneur Zalman's interpretations and doctrines are
based upon the teachings of the Ba'al
Shem Tov, the founder of general Chassidut, and his own "masters,"
Rabbi Dov Ber of Miezricz, the Ba'al
Shem Tov's successor, and Rabbi Dov Ber's son Rabbi Abraham, the
"angel."

The author draws abundantly from the Zohar and the Tikunei
Zohar. He mentions by name Maimonides (the Code), and Rabbi MosheCordovero (Pardes). Of other "books and scribes" which
influenced him, though he does not mention them by name in the Tanya, are R.
Isaiah Hurwitz's Shenei Luchot ha-Berit, the works of the Maharal (Rabbi
Judah Lowe) of Prague, and Bachya benAsher's Commentary on the Bible.18

Halevi's Kuzari was held in high esteem by Rabbi Schneur
Zalman and his successors. He is known to have studied it ardently with his son
and grandson who succeeded him. Similarly Bachya ibn Pakuda's Duties of the
Heart, which enjoyed great popularity among Talmudic scholars of the day,
as it still does.19 Albo's lkarim was another
popular source for the philosophically inclined. It is safe to assume that
Rabbi Schneur Zalman was intimately familiar with these, and no doubt also with
the whole range of Medieval Jewish philosophy, but there is no evidence of
influence by these sources on the composition of the Tanya.

It has been wisely said that the proper approach to a
problem is in itself half a solution. Quite often it is the approach to the
problem, and the method of treating it, that displays the greatest degree of
ingenuity and originality, and in themselves constitute the main contribution
of the thinker. This is true of R. Schneur Zalman and of the Chabad system which
he created. For, while his basic concepts have been gleaned from various
sources, his doctrines nevertheless present a complete and unified system, and
there is much refreshing originality in its presentation and consistency.

But R. Schneur Zalman did more than that. Very often he has
so modified, reinterpreted or remolded the ideas which he had assimilated, as
to give them an originality of their own.

To Rabbi Schneur Zalman, as to Kabbalists in general, the
Torah, the Jewish Written and Oral Law embodied in the Bible and Talmud (the
latter including both the Halachah and Aggadah), was more than a Divinely
inspired guide to the summum bonum. It constituted the essential law and
order of the created universe.20 The Kabbalah, in its
interpretation, was nothing but the inner, esoteric dimension of the Torah, its
very "soul." Without this dimension the Torah could not be fully
understood. Consequently, when he looked for the "inner," or
esoteric, meaning of Biblical and
Talmudic texts it was not for the purpose of adding homiletic poignancy to his
exposition, but rather to reveal their inner dimension. In his system the
esoteric and exoteric, the Kabbalah and the Talmud, are thoroughly blended and
unified, just as the physical and metaphysical, the body and soul, emerge under
his treatment as two aspects of the same thing. The polarity of things is but
external; the underlying reality of everything is unity, reflecting the unity
of the Creator. To bring out this unity
of the microcosm and macrocosm, as they merge within the mystic unity of the En Sof (the Infinite) that is the
ultimate aim of his system.

Part 3. The Composition of the Tanya

Structurally, the Tanya may be divided into a number
of sections, each dealing with a major subject and comprising a number of
composite topics.

The first section of
the work (chapters 1-8) is devoted to an analysis of the psychological
structure of the Jewish personality.21 Here the author discusses the two
levels of consciousness (to use modern
terminology) on which a person operates. These two levels of consciousness are
derived from two sources, which the author terms the "divine soul"
and the "animal soul." He examines the essential attributes and
practical faculties of each. In dealing
with the "animal soul" the author discusses also the nature of
evil, both metaphysical and moral. Evil
is basically conceived in terms of disunity; good in terms of unity.

Next (chapters 9-17),
the author goes on to examine the inevitable conflict ensuing from the two divergent sources of consciousness. He
evaluates the relative strength of the two souls

and their respective functions, whereby the essential unity
of the human personality is strongly upheld. Experientially, however, the
conflict produces a variety of personalities, from one extreme to the other,
which the author proceeds to define. His attention is focused on the
personality of the Benoni, which falls midway between the extremes.
However, in Rabbi Schneur Zalman's definition the Benoni is not one
whose sins and virtues balance, while the tzaddik is a person whose good
deeds outweigh his sins, as sometimes defined in the Talmud.22 The Benoni of the Tanya
is a person who exercises complete self-control and never commits a sin
knowingly in any of the three areas of human activity: thought, speech and
deed. The Benoni of the Tanya is thus superior to the tzaddik
of the Talmud. Nevertheless, our author insists that this ideal personality is
within grasp of the average individual, although not without constant effort
and vigilance. The underlying doctrine here is that man is essentially and
inherently a moral being.

The following chapters (18-25) are designed to support the
author's basic theory, namely, that the
ideal personality of the Benoni is not a mere concept, but one that can
actually be realized. To this end he re-examines the functions of the soul,
both on the conscious and subconscious level. With regard to the former, the
author insists on the supremacy of the intellect. As for the subconscious
level, the author draws upon the Zohar for certain mystical categories,
such as the innate or "hidden" love and fear (awe) of G‑d. The
"hidden" love provides a subconscious urge for oneness with G‑d; the
sense of awe for the Divine Being provides a dread of separateness. Love and
awe are therefore not conflicting, but rather complementary categories. The
author emphasizes the special, and to a considerable extent also hereditary,
nature of the Jew, and his attachment to the idea of the unity of G‑d,
originating with the Patriarchs. This thought is, in some respects, strongly
reminiscent of Halevi's concept of the "Divine Influence" (al'amar al'ilahi), which Halevi
considers germane to the Jewish people.23

In this connection the doctrine of Divine Unity comes under discussion.

However, never losing sight of the practical, the author
discusses certain states of mind which have a direct bearing on the quest for
personal unity as a prelude to unity in the cosmic order, which in turn is sine
qua non for the realization of the Divine Unity. He offers a series of
practical suggestions for attaining mental and emotional stability and
inner harmony. The emphasis is on joy, stemming from an intellectually achieved
faith, while sadness and dejection are severely censured. All this forms the subject matter of chapters
26-31.

Chapter 32 stands out
by itself, as an interpolation not immediately related to the discussion
in hand. The careful student will note that chapter 31 is more directly
continued in chapter 33.

It would appear that the author chose to include this
particular chapter parenthetically, as it were, in order to give emphasis at
this point to one of the cardinal teachings of the Ba'al Shem Tov, which is a
cornerstone of Chassidut, and which receives special attention in Chabad.24 We refer to the subject of ahavat
yisrael, love for fellow Jew (Lev. 18:19). In his familiar way, our
author gives this precept a mystico-ethical exposition, based on the close
soul-relationship within the community of Israel, to which he alluded in his
Foreword and chapter 2, and which now receives fuller treatment in this
chapter. Hence, some leading Chassidim note the significance of the number of this chapter - 32 - corresponding
to the Hebrew word ל”ב, "heart."25

The drama of the
inner personal conflict leads the author to an examination of man's destiny,
the meaning and purpose of life, and man's place in the cosmic order. These
problems are dealt

with in chapters 33-37. In the last of these, the author
outlines his concept of the Messianic Era
and the Resurrection, when the cosmic order will have attained the acme
of perfection and

fulfillment as a direct result of man's conscious effort to
work towards that goal.

At this point, the author might have concluded his treatise.
However, he is not content with leaving us with the impression that life is
merely a prelude to after-life. There must be more to life, and to religious
experience, than serving merely as a means to an end. In the next, and last,
fifteen chapters of his work, the author evolves his concept of the Kingdom of
Heaven on earth in the here and now. In his daily life man is offered a
foretaste of the after-life, and in some respects it is of a quality surpassing
even the spiritual bliss of the hereafter. The author, therefore, takes up
again those categories of man’s spiritual phenomena which enable him to
transcend his physical limitations and to partake of the supernatural in this
life. Here again the mystic is very much in evidence. The author provides new
insights into the concept of kavanah (the "intention") which must
accompany every human act), which is the
vehicle of transcendence (chapters
38-40). He discusses the various qualities of fear (awe) and love, and
introduces also the quality of mercy, as the basic elements of this
transcendency, and as innate qualities in human nature to leap over the gulf
that separates the created from the Creator, and to come in direct contact with
the En Sof, the Limitless (chapters 41-47).

The next two chapters (48-49) are devoted to the
all-important Lurianic doctrine of tzimtzum which, in the author's
system, holds the key to both the mystery of creation and the destiny of
man. Both man and the world in which he lives are two-dimensional
creatures of matter and spirit. The tension that inheres in such an order can
be relieved only by spiritualizing the material. Man has it in his power to achieve personal
harmony and unity, by realizing his inner nature. In so doing, he becomes the
instrument through which the world in which he lives also achieves fulfillment.
To be a true master of the world which the Creator had entrusted in his hands,
man must first be master of himself. Creation is seen as a process leading from
G‑d to man; fulfillment is seen as a process leading from man to G‑d. The
process leading from G‑d to man is one of materializing the spiritual; that
leading from man to G‑d - one of spiritualizing the material. There is a
community of interests, as it were, between the Creator and His
"counterpart" on earth, a community of interests which is realizable
because of a community of "nature," since man partakes in the Divine
nature (by reason of the fact that his soul in a "part" of G‑dliness)
as G‑d concerns Himself with human affairs.

Man's moral acts must be holy acts.26 The good and the holy are
identical; man's duty and purpose in life is to identify himself with his
Creator, through identifying his will with that of his Creator. Man is the
Divine instrument "to make this world a fitting abode for the Shechinah
(Divine Presence)," in which both man and G‑d can share intimately and
fully, in complete harmony and union. On this mystical note the final chapters
(50-53) of the treatise conclude.

Two are by Rabbi Shmuel
Gronem Esterman, first dean of the Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim, founded in Lubavitch
in 1897. A third, extant only in part, is believed to have been written by
Rabbi Jacob Kadaner, a disciple of Rabbi Schneur Zalman's son
and successor. A fourth commentary is of unknown origin. [Some
of these have since been published.]

Even where philosophical speculation was frowned upon,
Bachya's Duties of the Heart enjoyed a unique position. The influential
Rabbi Isaiah Hurwitz, for example, severely criticised in his work R. Abraham ibn Ezra, Maimonides (Guide)
and Gersonides, but held the Duties of the Heart in high esteem. See Shenei
Luchot ha-Berit (Amsterdam, 1698), pp. 2b; 8a; 20b; 47b; 183a; 193b.

Comp. "He looked into
the Torah and created the world," Zohar ("Rom" ed.,
Wilno, 1937), vol. 11, 161a; 111, 35b, etc. See also Tanchuma, at the
beg., on Prov. 8:30, to the effect that the Torah was the Divine
"tool" in creating the universe.

With R. Isaiah Hurwitz and
all Kabbalists, RSZ considered the Jewish psychological composition in a
category of its own. Judah Halevi made the special destiny of the Jewish people
one of the basic doctrines of his Kuzari. In the Tanya the
emphasis is on the individual Jew rather than on the Jewish people as a whole.

Kehot Publication Society and Merkos Publications, the publishing divisions of the Lubavitch movement have brought Torah education to nearly every Jewish community in the world. More than 100,000,000 volumes have been disseminated to date in over 12 languages, both for newcomer as well as for those well versed in Torah knowledge.